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Fire Walk With Me

(38,893 posts)
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 04:32 AM Jun 2012

Occupy LA. THIS IS A POLICE STATE: 06/21/12 CCA RAID DEBRIEF

Last edited Sat Jun 23, 2012, 10:22 PM - Edit history (1)

http://occupyla.tumblr.com/post/25637105036

Twitter: @occupyLA or @OWSLosAngeles

THIS IS A POLICE STATE: 06/21/12 CCA RAID DEBRIEF

#DEBRIEF

Tonight at 626Wilshire the police assaulted the camp because one lone participant was chalking. They surrounded him, wrestling him to the ground, unable to site the code they were enforcing. We reminded them that chalk is not vandalism, that it is not graffiti, it washes off, and at bare minimum it is free political speech.

We stood there, six peaceful protesters, standing our ground observing this injustice- filming the police. Questioning their authority. One pig tells us:

“Move to the corner of the sidewalk”
“If you don’t do what i tell you, i will make you”

We had not moved any closer, we were not any threat to the police officers. We were peaceful protesters. The police called back up. Squad car after squad car pulled up.

They took out their batons. They took out their pepper spray. They began screaming in our face. They incited violence and began beating us. They dragged away three of our comrades. They were laughing. We stood our ground. They are the terrorists of the police state. Any fucking pig with a badge, baton and gun is a coward. LAPD is a fully funded, militarized gang.

ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE:

These are my comrades. We work together, we love each other, we learn with each other, we are inspired, and choose to be deliberately free. They are targeting us, it is almost unbearable. We are a threat to no one other than the status quo and those who choose to make themselves enemies of rebirth and revolution.

We liberate space in front of the lobbyists, the financial and political elite, the bankers to protest the targeting of the homeless, the herding and purge of the poor on behalf of the private property owning class. This is what we get, this is the price of resistance. Constant brutality and repression, the court sytem, the prison industrial complex, monitoring and fucking fascism. The same factors that work to keep the poor and working class oppressed everyday since the dawn of time.

It gets worse for those in the struggle, before it gets better for anyone else. Both borders of the United States are experiencing mass social unrest, and this country is teetering on the edge of an awakening so brutal it can only go one of two ways. We all have power, how will you play into the history that is unfolding? They will come for your neighbor, and then they will come for you. We must unify. We must resist tyranny.

I ask you to question the meaning of your life.
I ask you to consider the centuries of oppression that have characterized humanity and to make a choice.
Will you enable it?
Will you be complicit?

When you see the world for what it is- famine, disease, oppression, greed, violence and torture- what will you do?

Will you continue swimming in the status quo, keeping it afloat because your compelled? Do you realize they have you chasing ever elusive ‘stability’ determined by your oppressors? Do you realize your television is brainwashing you?

Will you despair? Will you revolt?

We are all capable of revolting. It is in our nature as humyns to seek for a better world together, cooperatively. But you must ask yourself what it will take. And you must ask yourself.. what is the meaning of your life?

There is a solution, we work together, we strengthen the hive mind. We build collective will and energy to smash the oppressive institutions that own our bodies. The tide of human history is changing. We can employ a dual strategy: discredit and dismantle the oppressive system that stands, while simultaneously building the alternative we imagine. WE CAN AND WILL TRANSITION OUT OF CAPITALISM. Whether you are in the streets or in a cubicle, is your decision. Our life is meant to be more than production, conditioning and wage slavery. Take control over your life for the first time since you were born into this capitalist system.

Every time they beat us, our resolve is deepened. Every time they arrest us, they know not the demons they create. We are in solidarity with prisoners and resistors everywhere. Our actions, our inspirations, our resistance is more than our bodies and mind can bear. The human spirit guides us, the energies of all humyns who have fallen at the hands of the bloodthirsty monarchs and capitalists flows through our hearts.

There will be no peace, until there is justice. There will be no justice, without revolt. I don’t think you understand.

The bureaucracy is dead. Long live the revolution!
14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Occupy LA. THIS IS A POLICE STATE: 06/21/12 CCA RAID DEBRIEF (Original Post) Fire Walk With Me Jun 2012 OP
I'm sorry! sabrina 1 Jun 2012 #1
The "CCA" are a clotting of business interests intent upon removing the homeless from Skid Row Fire Walk With Me Jun 2012 #2
Same thing Giuliani did in NYC. Pretended to be moving the homeless for sabrina 1 Jun 2012 #3
I hope you were not arrested. But haven't seen you around and am wondering. sabrina 1 Jun 2012 #8
Terribly sorry, forgot to check in. Am exhausted. Only slept one hour Fire Walk With Me Jun 2012 #10
Global Capital ... Fantastic Anarchist Jun 2012 #7
You can call them pigs, clang1 Jun 2012 #4
Fire Walk, please post a version of this in the GD forum also, for coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #5
"Socialism will be free or it will not be at all" Fantastic Anarchist Jun 2012 #6
Link Fantastic Anarchist Jun 2012 #9
Point of Information LizSavage Jun 2012 #11
I thought OWS was organic--how can anything be "official?" MADem Jun 2012 #12
Sorry for going off topic, Control-Z Jun 2012 #13
Welcome! I'll strike the initials, didn't know. Sorry! Fire Walk With Me Jun 2012 #14

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
1. I'm sorry!
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 05:17 AM
Jun 2012

The LAPD has a long history of brutality. The world knows their record, and was reminded of it this week with the death of one of their most famous victims, Rodney King.

They are cowards of course. That's why they stick together. Calling the squad cars, hoping for over time. Having hung out with some NYPD cops for a while, listening to them talk, yes, absolutely there is racism, so casual they don't even realize it.

Mostly though, they talk about money, overtime, strategy on how to make the most while they are still there. One of them was 28 and had retired already on disability. I remember him holding up his thumb and laughing. Apparently he was in a scuffle with someone and hurt his thumb. He was very grateful to that person. Imagine what that costs the taxpayers.

Don't let them get to you if possible, although I understand how you feel.

Canada and Mexico are feeling the effects of social unrest. I am hoping that people will join forces and meet in some massive Global Demonstrations, here or in Canada or Mexico.

I hope the three people who were taken away have been released. I know you have the numbers of the Lawyers Guild. Take care, don't despair, this movement is only getting started

 

Fire Walk With Me

(38,893 posts)
2. The "CCA" are a clotting of business interests intent upon removing the homeless from Skid Row
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 05:25 AM
Jun 2012

so they can gentrify it into pricey rentals. In a few hours, it is said they will attack our friends in one area of Skid Row. Several of us will be there and will be arrested for no reason by laughing, mocking police intent upon scaring us into going away. We will not. If I do not post later today, you will know what has occurred.

Edit: What the debrief doesn't mention is that police promised at least one person they'd be arrested this morning. They have been grabbing us without warning or explanation to incite others into protection mode, which is of course arrestable. This is the naked face of evil, hoping to destroy something of unity, of beauty. Other movements have faced down this same evil, and won. WE WILL WIN!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11165691@N03/sets/72157629765917142/

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)
3. Same thing Giuliani did in NYC. Pretended to be moving the homeless for
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 05:32 AM
Jun 2012

humanitarian reasons, but they were brutally treated, arrested and jailed many times, and disappeared basically, to make room for his wealthy friends.

Be careful. Thank you for standing up for the homeless, the most vulnerable people. Shame on this country that there is even one homeless person in this obscenely wealthy nation.

I wonder if a project could be started, sort of like Carters home building project, where OWS activists could approach wealthy people, businesses and ask them to help build some shelters, or buy abandoned buildings to fix up for the homeless?

I think something like that is happening in Illinois, where OWS has been given, or were given an abandoned building and are fixing it up and planning to make it their base while accomodating the homeless.

Shame them into giving something back maybe. And some may be willing to do it.

Take care and try not to get arrested. I hope there are people there filming everything.

 

Fire Walk With Me

(38,893 posts)
10. Terribly sorry, forgot to check in. Am exhausted. Only slept one hour
Sat Jun 23, 2012, 11:10 AM
Jun 2012

the night before yesterday. Got home and crashed.

Skid Row are being evicted. The homeless are being forced to "store" all large items (in CCA-provided bins...fox/henhouse) and are only allowed to carry what they can during the day, and they must keep moving. No stopping and resting. No encampments. Threats of jailing.

Occupy Skid Row defied the order to not return and reOccupied yesterday at 2PM. Cops showed up and intimidated and formed a line to force us off the sidewalk. They could not answer questions about our Federal injunction, and did not care at all. A Spanish television channel, Noticias 22 showed up, and cops became scarce. Later that day, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck was in a cruiser which crept past the site, getting a personal overview.

The phone calls on this are going all the way up the decision tree. Cops have to remove us so CCA can make lots of nice MONEY. How dare human beings seeking to live their lives get in the way of profit.

And most importantly: Occupy Skid Row are in an area not even mentioned in the LA Health Department report. This is entirely political. They know Occupy's presence gives the other homeless...ideas.

Thank you, sorry!

Fantastic Anarchist

(7,309 posts)
7. Global Capital ...
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 08:18 PM
Jun 2012

... will not allow any cohesive international labor movement. That's what these "Free Trade" agreements are all about.

 

coalition_unwilling

(14,180 posts)
5. Fire Walk, please post a version of this in the GD forum also, for
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 01:25 PM
Jun 2012

added exposure.

Thanks.

Charles
Coalition of the Unwilling

Fantastic Anarchist

(7,309 posts)
6. "Socialism will be free or it will not be at all"
Fri Jun 22, 2012, 08:14 PM
Jun 2012

"Socialism will be free or it will not be at all!" - anarchist Rudolph Rocker

LizSavage

(1 post)
11. Point of Information
Sat Jun 23, 2012, 03:16 PM
Jun 2012

I am not sure who wrote this but @owslosangeles is not an official twitter of OLA only @Occupyla is, and some committees have twitters as well. Also I see the Author of this post signed this LS, which to most people involved in Occupy Los Angeles would believe was me, as this is what I sign tweets, and facebook, but I am not the author of this article.

Thank you
LizSavage
OLA Web/Social Media

MADem

(135,425 posts)
12. I thought OWS was organic--how can anything be "official?"
Sat Jun 23, 2012, 03:31 PM
Jun 2012

That isn't snark, it is a serious query. There is no way to know what is OWS and what is a bunch of assholes spouting BS under an OWS banner. The thing that some factions call the greatest strength of OWS is, to my mind, also its greatest weakness. Anyone can pretend to be an "authority" if there are no authorities, or if everyone is one.

Even if a bunch of people get together and say "OK, this is the 'official' twitter/email or what-have-you," what happens when the group morphs and shifts and people leave and more people come? There is no chain of command.

I see it as an impediment to mass communications. Others mileage may and likely will vary.

Control-Z

(15,684 posts)
13. Sorry for going off topic,
Sat Jun 23, 2012, 08:29 PM
Jun 2012

but did you, by chance, live in Tustin during HS? I knew someone with the same name. Just curious.

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